Time to dust off The Pattern Place blog, jeepers its been a while. So in hopes of not completely losing my mind I made the painful decision to suspend most if not all of my quilting business. I closed my on-line pattern store, stopped designing patterns and writing this blog, hardest of all, I stopped quilting entirely. It tooks months to transition from Canada to the United Arab Emirates and Dubai, not sure we will completely finish that process. Life has returned to some kind of normal, just long enough for me to prepare for more change. Baby three and our first son should arrive late July or early Aug and with delivery scheduled for Canada we are off for quite the summer. I have a wonderful studio space and plans to use it even after our little man arrives, we will see. Although I have not been devoting time to The Pattern Place, the quilter inside never stops. Here are a few pics from around the Gulf Coast.

The Dubai sky line is impressive and might have to make it into a new design one day.

The girls in their tent, the floor is a delightful fleece and flannel 'comfy'. Great for watching tv and a last minute addition to the suitcases, thank goodness. At home we would have used a quilt for the floor and a 'comfy' for the tent but here, in our hotel suite, you make do :)

Global Village can be seen from our back yard and yet it took us until two days before it closed for the season to make our first visit, good thing we had so much fun shopping. The buildings, the people and the 'its not like this back home' are among my greatest inspirations.

A local mall offers some amazing sites. The colors and shapes, the contrast of old and new - I could go on and on. Its a wonder for the senses. Time is required and I don't have all that much right now, but slowly and in the years to come .....

Happy Quilting

Quilting in Dubai

Tuesday will be our four week anniversary as residents of Dubai. It has been very fun to carefully get to know this crazy city. We are getting slightly settled, sort of. I made a step toward getting back to 'normal' today, what ever that is of course.

I attended my first Dubai Quilt Guild meetings this morning. They are held at the Arabian Ranches golf course, very nice. It was a great opportunity to meet some fellow quilters and enjoy a good dose of quilting. The quilting styles and projects displayed or discussed were as varied as those attending, which was rather interesting. It has been over four years since I was last a member of a quilt guild and I had forgot about some really great perks. I checked out a great block and pattern book/magazine. I am excited as it saves me from trying to order one online. I couldn't find the magazine from this spring/summer I was looking for but I had fun looking. I did a little more looking at some fabric from the local quilt stores, went through four mini seminars for Christmas decoration ideas and enjoyed wonderful refeshments. It was very lovely . I should have worked on my English and Australian accent before coming though, I can't understand a thing when they get talking fast.

The morning went by quickly and soon it was time to go but I managed a few, quick pictures of those at my table and the guild president conducting the meeting. I am quite excited to contribute and bring my quilts for 'show and tell'. I also can't wait for a new machine and a house, excuse me, villa to house my studio. All things required to really take part.

I am also itching to get back designing. There are so many patterns running through my head it is a challenge to fall sleep some nights. That could also be from the rattling fan in our bedroom but turning off the air conditioning isn't an option, we tried that.

Off to sleep, another busy day planned for tomorrow. We are hopeful for an agreement for a villa we have been searching for and finally found tonight. We know as we seek the Lord's council He will guide and direct us, night all and Happy Quilting

Quilting on Hold

Wow things have been busy, not normal busy but busy none the less. With a husband in oil and gas anything is possible. So off we go, we have had some notice but in the end it was not much more than a week from simple home life to everything sorted, packed, shipped or stored. Sign up in front of the house and yep we've moved, crazy. What's more crazy, our destination - Dubai

Photo taken on our pre-assignment visit in April/May 2010 in Dubai

We are excited and a little bit aprehensive as we begin this journey. Life is great, we feel regret for leaving our friends and family and yet feel so encouraged by shuch a rare opportunity. I will post pictures here of my quilting adventures from the Arabain Gulf but for now my quilting is on hold. I am sure after a little time my new surroundings will bring some new machine applique patterns. Due check back as I am getting a new sewing machine out of the deal ;)

Happy Quilting

I finished a UFO!!

Some times it is just time to get to those unfinished objects!! This week has been that time for me, the quilt pattern was Sapphire Stars from EZ Quilting, I had purchased the easy eight acrylic ruler and wanted a project to try it out. Well I got right into it, bought some fabric and sat down to make a star quilt and wham the project got the better of me and into the projects to be finished later pile it went. I was a new quilter and never a sewer before that so I think I lacked the sewing skills to set the corners successfully and I set out to make a bed sized quilt - ROOKIE. Well I was going through that 'to be finished later' pile, now housed in a bin in the closet and there it was. I do believe I started the quilt 8 years ago, or more, so now with a little time sat at my machine I was determined to finish it. No problem. First thing, scale back the project. My bed size has turned it self into lap size and should be a special friend to either my two or almost four year old, or both. They love the bright colors and I love that it is finished!! Out of a bin and into the washer last night and ready to be loved this morning, Happy Quilting

Free Applique Quilt Patterns on the Move

A short message to let everyone know that the previously download free patterns from The Pattern Place website are now just a click away in the free patterns section of our blog. We are very excited for some pretty big changes here at The Pattern Place. I am going to stream line our online shopping and offer only our best and complete machine applique quilting patterns. The size of quilts will vary from small wall quilts to some major applique bed quilt projects. So excited, so much time required to finish all my plans. This full time quilter, website designer and oh ya mom and wife thing keeps me busy, but I love it and would not change it for the world. The never ending promise of Princess Patricia's pattern being available soon... took a step closer and here's the proof.

I took a few pictures of it bound, still needs embroidery and the pattern writing to finish itself :) Don't hold my breath.
Happy Quilting

A little piecing for practice

It's been a while since I followed a pattern and made a pieced top so I thought I would give it a try, just to see if I remember how to do it. It's turned out pretty good, had to change the block layout but that's how it goes. I am liking the disappearing nine block and how fast and easy it was


to get a scrappy 30" x 40" pieced top together. The fabrics are a layer cake with some extra squares from the border and binding fabrics that I had. I like the rich, bright color pallet. Now for some borders and you guessed it APPLIQUES!! I have a flower idea, with some small bias vines and a bee hive or bird feeder ideas - I feel a new pattern coming on :)




I had the chance to visit a friend yesterday and take a few pictures of her finished table runner. It is a Scrappy Irish Chain project, adapted with applique. It is a beautiful pattern and is so much easier that a completely pieced, more traditional block. We started it a a while back now but it is done, a first quilting project. I think it looks lovely and suits her table very well. Such great color choices as well. She even enjoyed the hand stitching to secure the binding. Overall a quilting success, congratulations!

My girls and I had some fun in the front yard yesterday, the lighting was magical and the girls are cute even in the dark, no bias I am just their mom.




Happy Quilting.

Home is... applique wall hanging

It took most of the day and a few cartoons for the kiddies but I managed to get a new pattern on The Pattern Place web site today. Home is... happiness and harmony is ready for download along with the first of many mini quilts, Happy Birthday. I am excited to see this idea now in real life, touchable and hanging in the living room of our home. Check out our Facebook page for a photo of the next mini, Gulf Beach. Here is a photo from our trip with which the pattern is based, so pretty.



I was soo tempted to add the palms trees, I just kept thinking "less is more, less is more" anyways. It is next on deck, just need to finish the pattern. I have had quilter's block and I am spending more time at my computer than in front of the sewing machine, it's not that bad I guess. I will try to get it up in the next few days, or nights ;)

So in the never ending Princess Patricia, the binding is on and just needs a few more hours of hand stitching, and on and on.

Opened a great package from my new favorite applique pattern designer, eat cake graphics. Love them so much I ordered two. They are brilliant. More about that later. Bed time, Happy Quilting.